On a recent visit my to sister-in-law and cousin in Michigan, I went to a women’s gathering on an incredible property by a lake where our host introduced us to a practice called “secret spot.” Essentially, you choose a place to kind of collect yourself – to sit quietly and observe the nitty gritty of what’s unfolding around you in nature. We were also supposed to collect things to later make artwork about the experience.
This was all new to me – I didn’t know these women, I didn’t know this landscape – but it sounded interesting. After we discussed the exercise, we all wandered out to find our secret spots. Some women headed for the pine forest, some to the front yard area with its natural grasses. I was drawn to the lake.
As I walked along the shore of this vast body of water, I kept finding white feathers and sticking them into my hair. By the time I chose my spot and sat down by the edge of the lake, my hair was filled with feathers.
Suddenly the clouds broke open, the sun shone, and right at my feet (which were dangling in the water) a white feather washed up. That moment felt like a connection to God. And reminded me of a quote I’d just read:
Letting Go, Letting God.
That’s what my piece of artwork was about. I painted the bottom of a box white and applied 5 of the feathers I had found. Each one I manipulated a little bit, adding some paint or felt. And along the outside edge of the box, I wrote: Letting Go, Letting God. It resonated for me as a message to carry on into my life.
Inspired by the idea of the Jewish door piece, the mezuzah, I hung the art at the doorway of my home to remind me every day to let go of any preconceived notions about my relationship with God and to receive what unfolds naturally.
It’s kind of shocking that I would blog about God because it has been such an uncomfortable topic for me. But not anymore. Since my white-feathers secret-spot experience, I’m Letting Go, Letting God.
